Washington Brewery Company facts for kids
Washington Brewery Company Logo
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The Washington Brewery Company around 1910 looking southwest toward the Capitol
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| Location | Square 811 (4th, 5th, E and F Street NE), Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, United States |
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| Coordinates | 38°53′49″N 77°00′00″W / 38.896817°N 77.000093°W | ||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1857 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1919 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Key people | George Juenemann Albert Carry Harry Williams |
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| Other products | Noalco (Temperance beer) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Inactive beers | |||||||||||||||||||
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The Washington Brewery Company was a company in Washington, D.C. that made drinks. It was a brewery, which is a place where drinks like beer are made. It operated from 1890 to 1917 in an area known as Square 811. This area was located between 4th, 5th, E, and F Streets NE.
Contents
History of the Brewery
The First Brewery Opens
The first building for making drinks was built in 1857. A man named George Juenemann worked with Owen Humphrey. They wanted to create a fun place like a German-style garden, called a biergarten.
This new place was called Humphrey and Juenemann's Pleasure Garden. Its opening was announced in a newspaper called the Evening Star on June 30, 1857. It was open every day, with special events on Monday afternoons. People could enjoy dances, including English Quadrilles and German Waltzes. This showed that the place welcomed both English American and German visitors. A band called Weber's Band played music, and drinks were available. Many people believed this was the oldest brewery in Washington, D.C.
In 1863, George Juenemann bought out Owen Humphrey's share of the business. The place then became known as Mount Vernon Lager Beer Brewery and Pleasure Garden. It was also called Juenemann's Brewery. It became a popular spot for people to gather. Different events happened there, like picnics with dances. These lively gatherings were sometimes called "Swampoodle Walks." Later, it was also known as Juenemann's Park.
Albert Carry Takes Over
George Juenemann passed away in 1884. On October 14, 1886, a man named Albert Carry bought the property from Juenemann's wife, Barbara. Albert Carry was from Cincinnati. He paid $95,000, which was a very large amount of money at that time. He improved the brewery by adding modern equipment. This included a large copper kettle in the middle of the building.
Albert Carry ran the brewery without changing its name in 1887 and 1888. In 1889, a professor from Columbian University tested some of Carry's drinks. The brewery was still listed as Mount Vernon Brewery then. However, it also seemed to be known as Carry's Brewery.
In 1889, Albert Carry tried to sell his brewery but then changed his mind. On August 12, 1889, the brewery was sold to the New York Brewery Company for $400,000. This company then sold it to the Washington Brewery Company. Albert Carry said that all the buyers were American. He kept two-thirds of the company's shares. He also continued to manage the business. Two new buildings were planned: one for making drinks and another for storage. This allowed the company to make many more barrels of drinks.
An English Connection
By September 3, 1889, news spread that the New York company was actually connected to English investors. Albert Carry defended himself. He placed an advertisement in The Evening Star starting September 12, 1889. He told his friends and customers that he had not sold his brewery to an English group. He said the sale was to a New York company, and he still owned a large part of it. He offered to show proof of his statement.
By November 1889, Albert Carry was ready for a new project. He bought land in southeast Washington, D.C. to build his next company, the National Capital Brewing Company. The ownership of the original brewery finally went to the British investors in 1892 for $400,000. The large garden next to the bar was renamed The Alhambra in 1898. This name came from the famous Alhambra in Spain. The garden offered tasty seafood that people could enjoy with the brewery's light and dark drinks. Concerts were also held for visitors.
In 1904, the English company changed its structure but kept the same name. This led to a lawsuit in December 1906. Eight stockholders argued that the changes were made without their agreement. They asked to be paid back by the new company.
On April 23, 1909, the company started a contest. They wanted people to name a new non-alcoholic drink. The prize was $100 in gold. Harry Williams, the General Manager, announced the contest in the Evening Star. The name had to be short, catchy, fitting, and easy to remember. People had until May 3 to send in their ideas. On October 19, 1909, an advertisement in the Washington Times announced the new name: Noalco. This product was created because of the Temperance movement. This movement encouraged people to choose non-alcoholic drinks.
Noalco was sold at soda fountains. People said it would "quench your thirst and relieve your fatigue." You could also buy a case of 24 large bottles for $2. Individual bottles cost 5 cents or 10 cents at grocery and drug stores. Noalco was made from brewed malt and hops, but it did not contain alcohol. From November 8 to November 20, 1909, the National Food Show and Industrial Exposition took place. It was held at Convention Hall. Samples of Noalco were given to visitors. Newspaper articles from that time said the drink was very popular.
The End of the Brewery
Like many other breweries, the Washington Brewery Company closed because of the Volstead Act of 1919. This law started Prohibition in the United States. Prohibition meant that making, selling, or transporting alcoholic drinks was against the law.
On May 10, 1924, Charles E. Myers bought the land where the brewery stood. There were rumors that Mr. Myers planned to start a place for keeping bees. The brewery buildings were torn down in September 1924. A public school was built in its place. Today, the Stuart-Hobson Middle School is located at 410 E Street NE. This school stands on the same land that the Washington Brewery Company once occupied.
Drinks from the Brewery
Mount Vernon Brewery Drinks
- Golden Eagle (1887)
- Champagne Lager
- Capuciner
Washington Brewery Drinks
- Ruby Lager: a dark drink first made in 1895.
- Sparkling Ale: sold for 75 cents for a case of 12 bottles.
- Bock Beer
- Imperial Export: sold for $1.25 for a case of 24 bottles.
- Golden Hop
Washington Brewery Non-alcoholic Drinks
- Noalco: This new drink was made with malt and hops. It was introduced in 1909 and did not contain alcohol.
